The Monk That Wanted To Renounce Asceticism

Fangzheng did not explain despite noticing their reaction. After all, they didn’t ask him. However, the few of them clearly sped up, no longer feeling despair about clinching victory. Instead, they had their hope rise. Perhaps, they hoped, this monk who didn’t sink into the mud could produce a miracle? Fangzheng was pleased seeing this. One’s conviction was always important to the outcome of a competition!

“Jingxin, Jingzhen! Stop messing about and quickly reap the paddy. Don’t lose to the machine,” said Fangzheng with a smile.

Red Boy was taken aback when he heard that. Monkey immediately used a sickle and, like a humanoid black-mud-creature, he ran over. He began imitating Zhou Zishan and company’s actions by reaping the paddy.

Zhou Zishan and company never expected the monkey to be so intelligent that it could reap paddy. Although his skills weren’t honed, he could indeed do the job. The few of them were naturally happy to gain another helping hand.

Just as Fangzheng was prepared to start working, Wang Yougui came running over.

“The price has been decided. They have agreed to the price I offered. By the way, do your best for this competition…” Wang Yougui explained Sun Youqian’s situation and then said, peeved, “It was all fun and games with the taunting and jeering, but this a**hole turned it on its head!”

“He really plans to gamble? If he loses, he will chop his head off to let it be a spittoon?” Fangzheng asked.

“That’s right,” said Wang Yougui.

Fangzheng pricked up his brows and activated his Wisdom Eye at the distant Sun Youqian. He saw a blob of black gas turn into cash around his body. Clearly, although he had never committed any heinous crimes, he had made his wealth through rather dubious means. Having seen this, Fangzheng had a plan in mind. If Sun Youqian was a good person, he wouldn’t mind just pulling his leg, but now… Fangzheng said, “Patron, we can forget about lopping off his head. Our monastery isn’t lacking in spittoons. If his machine loses, get him to give us another combined harvester. Let him sign it in black and white.”

“Ah? This… Abbot Fangzheng, although it wasn’t nice of him to barge into our conversations, he only made a passing remark. If he really were to lose, it’s impossible we could actually want his head. But with what you said, it would become a true gamble.” Wang Yougui was a little worried. “Once it becomes a real gamble, what would happen if we lost?”

Fangzheng said, “We won’t lose!”

“Uh? We won’t?” Wang Yougui looked at Fangzheng in puzzlement. It was man versus machine. No matter how great human strength was, how could it be comparable to a machine?

Fangzheng whispered into Wang Yougui’s ears, and his eyes immediately lit up. He roared with laughter as he said, “Alright! I get it. Hahaha!”

With that said, Wang Yougui ran off.

Since there was a plan in place, Fangzheng naturally wasn’t in a rush to take action. Instead, he began leisurely brandishing the sickle in the air as if he was warming up. It looked nothing like he was harvesting the paddy.

A distance away, Sun Youqian and company couldn’t see Fangzheng’s feet after he jumped into the riverbed. All Sun Youqian saw was the upper half of Fangzheng’s body, so he naturally wasn’t aware that Fangzheng was actually floating over mud.

Seeing Monkey really getting down to work, Sun Youqian curled his lips. “This monkey is quite intelligent, but it’s a monkey after all. How much help can a monkey provide? Won’t they lose all the same?”

Jiang Chaowei shot a glance at the harvester and then the villagers. He still felt a little worried and ran over to say something to Yang Hua. Although Yang Hua was a little pissed, he made Yang Ping get off the machine and allowed Jiang Chaowei to sit beside him. Clearly, Jiang Chaowei had gone up to supervise, afraid that Yang Hua would go easy.

Upon seeing this scene, Sun Youqian was filled with confidence. He gave a look of approbation to Jiang Chaowei and chuckled. “From the looks of it, this head of mine will be preserved. The monk will definitely be treating.”

Actually, everyone was still looking forward to Fangzheng’s treat, but after Sun Youqian’s participation in the bet, all of them silently stood behind Fangzheng. Regardless, Fangzheng was one of them! All of them hoped that Fangzheng could defy the heavens and clinch victory. However, when they looked at the metal behemoth, everyone knew that human strength couldn’t beat a machine no matter how strong one was. This competition’s outcome was determined from the beginning. All they could do was support Fangzheng in spirit.

Just as Sun Youqian was reeling in his smugness, Fangzheng said something to Wang Yougui before he brandished the sickle in the air to get a feel of it.

“Haha, he might not even know how to reap paddy.” Jiang Chaowei looked at how Fangzheng kept brandishing the sickle in an irregular manner and smiled subconsciously.

Sun Youqian also laughed. “Reaping paddy seems easy. It seems like it’s nothing but using a sickle to cut the paddy stem, but everything has a trick. There are many techniques involved. Where the hand grabs, where to do the incision, which direction to use force in, etc. are all things to take note of. Some methods are fast and energy-saving, but other methods are stupid and energy-wasting. They might even cause one to cut oneself. By brandishing the sickle like that, he probably has never stepped into the fields before. He’s indeed a flower who grew up sheltered in a greenhouse. All he can do is brag, but he has zero ability.”

After saying that, Sun Youqian couldn’t even be bothered to look further. He planned to find a spot to rest and wait until the competition was over. Regardless, even if he had to buy it, he had to take a picture of a bamboo shoot before returning to not embarrass himself. Meanwhile, he was wondering if he could brainwash such a large village into buying another one or two more harvesters.

At that moment, Wang Yougui came over and discussed the competition with him.

Sun Youqian was overjoyed when he heard Wang Yougui. “There’s someone in this day and age who isn’t afraid of death? Why? Does he really think human strength can defeat a machine? If human strength can do that, let’s not even talk about giving you one, I’ll even give you the one that you just bought!”

“For real?” asked Wang Yougui.

“Of course! But then again, I’m willing to give you two combined harvesters if I lose. So what can you offer if you lose?” Sun Youqian asked.

Wang Yougui hesitated for a moment, as though he had never considered this problem.

Sun Youqian sneered inwardly. Indeed, they were just hillbillies. They just want to compete without considering the consequences when they get excited. They haven’t even thought of the forfeit if they lose. Without a plan, how can they compete?

Sun Youqian looked at Wang Yougui in a supercilious manner and said, “Let’s do it this way. If you lose, buy another of our combined harvesters. How about that? Don’t be displeased. This condition is a lot less than what I would be forfeiting.”

Sun Youqian never thought he could lose, and he knew his machines best. He was certain that it could crush those wheat hands. Besides, he could also tell that the monk, Fangzheng, the monkey, and the child were all laymen. Even with them, they were bound to lose. Since it was a riskless gamble, he only wished for the gamble to happen. He did not wish to scare Wang Yougui away.

However, Dog Song and company couldn’t accept it.

“Village Chief, how can humans beat a machine? Isn’t this too big a gamble?”

“That’s right, Village Chief. We can’t bet on this.”

“This isn’t a gamble. We are just giving him money.”

…

Upon hearing the villagers, Sun Youqian was a little worried that Wang Yougui would back down and not make the gamble with him. As his eyes darted around, he fished out his wallet and counted ten thousand yuan and placed it in front of him. “Let’s cut to the chase. If Village Chief is agreeable, we can write it down in black and white. This 10,000 yuan will be a deposit I give you!”

However, the villagers still found it unacceptable. This was a sure-lose situation. Who would want to make such a bet?

Sun Youqian stared at Wang Yougui and finally, Wang Yougui sighed and patted Sun Youqian on the shoulder.

Sun Youqian’s heart sank. Something that was already in the bag was about to fly away!

However, Wang Yougui said, “Alright, we’ll bet on it! I happen to have pen and paper here. Let’s write it down…”